From curated, downloadable itineraries to trip organizers, 2017 will be a banner year for technology and travel. And, for penny pinchers out there, all of these apps are free, which means more money for hotels and flights.

If you have a Gmail account, it automatically uses your email to populate reservations, which for privacy pragmatists might not be ideal. (Other trip organizer apps like Tripcase require you to forward reservations to an email address.) But if ease on the road is your thing, and you have a Gmail account, Google Trips might be for you.

I was impressed with the variety of suggestions it offered for less touristic places like Las Terrenas in the Dominican Republic or Cabo Polonio in Uruguay. For bigger destinations like Dubai or London, the application offers day tours like “City Souks” or “Literary London,” which you can download in a WiFi spot and then access later on without data.

However, one caveat: when searching for things to do in Lebanon, it populated the results with activities in Syria and Israel, two countries that are impossible to visit from Beirut at the moment, due to ongoing geopolitical issues. While a quick search, conversation with a local or guidebook would let you know that, it is something to take into consideration when using an algorithm for travel advice.

Cost: free.

This year's best travel apps for the iPhone can take you as far as Cairo, Egypt. Photo credit: Alexandra Talty.

It might not be the most conventional way to meet people in a new city, but many use dating apps like Tinder to make connections while on the road. For business travelers and solo adventurers, setting up a date in the convenience of your hotel room might seem less intimidating than going to a bar or restaurant to meet folks.

If the idea of meeting up with a stranger in a new locale is scary, it can also be a great tool to get a feeling for a place. On a recent trip to the Bahamas, Tinder was populated with players competing in a poker championship. In their profiles, users mentioned how long they would be in Nassau and what they were looking for.

If you are traveling in a group, consider using Tinder’s new Social feature where groups of friends connect with other groups over the app. It takes the pressure off the situation and makes it less like a date, and more of a new, 21st century way to meet likeminded locals.

Similar to 2015’s pickLocaleur, Lonely Planet guides are a great way to plan a trip to a new city. You can download one for free before hitting the streets, so no need to use data if you’re traveling abroad. Score.

Known for budget travel recommendations and quirky cafes, Lonely Planet does an amazing of providing sightseeing suggestions as well as local hot spots. They have a bevy of local and expat authors writing for them, so their suggestions are nuanced. The app is fairly comprehensive, offering guides for cities like Rio Di Janeiro, Barcelona, Cape Town and Beijing, with more to launch in the new year. We can't wait.

If the idea of a full service reservation program like Google Trips or Tripcase is too much, consider this app. Users can plug in their flight numbers to find out about terminals, gates and delays.

The app also searches by airport, so if you are interested in learning about all the American Airlines flights out of John F. Kennedy International airport in New York, you can search that way. For airline nerds out there, it even shows flight paths.

This city exploration app offers downloadable city guides that lists recommended coffee shops, bars, shops and musuem. Think of it as Yelp meets Google Maps. With domestic cities like Albuquerque, St. Louis and Los Angeles, the continental United States is well-represented.

Using GPS-technology, users navigate within the map. As you walk, recommended bars and restaurants pop up, as well as museums. If a coffee shop sounds interesting, you can click on it and read other customer’s experiences. Stores, parks and theaters are all also listed.

Fun features include individualized shoes (flip flips, ballet flats, sneakers) that you can use as your avatar. There are also downloadable guides for select cities, like Christmas in New York City or Tea Time in London that will take you give a themed tour based on local suggestions.

One drawback is that you need data for the results to populate. If you’re in a foreign country, that can get expensive. Use free WiFi to download a specific map before leaving a hot spot. It also uses a lot of battery, so start the day with a full charge.

While following an airport on Twitter remains one of the best ways to know about travel delays, this app calculates wait times for clearing security in domestic airports and shows delays across the country. It also offers fun features like current weather and where TSA PreCheck is available.

Digital nomads, rejoice! Finally an app that shows where free WiFi is located.

There is nothing worse than ending up in a chain coffee shop in a new city, just because you need WiFi to send off some emails. (That being said, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are great in a pinch.)

Using FourSquare and user generated reviews, Café WiFi maps out local cafes and internet hot spots. The app recently launched so it is better in cities than small countries, but the founders are hoping to expand soon.

Based in Lebanon, I cover travel and personal finance topics for millennials. I'm committed to a life of adventure and have lived in four countries before turning 30. My work appears regularly in Playboy Magazine, Outside Magazine and AFAR Magazine, among others. Before bec...